Strip curtains are typically used to limit or prevent the flow of air, moisture and vermin through doorways while allowing ease of passage in and out by individuals. Doorways that typically utilize strip curtains for these purposes are walk-in coolers and freezers, refrigerated and nonrefrigerated warehouses, factory doors, loading docks, and refrigerated trucks. These strip curtains, which are typically made of plastic such as fire resistant vinyl, may also be used as barriers for sound control, shielding welding light, containment of chips and coolant spray from machining processes, and control of dust migration during construction projects.
Strip curtains typically have a mounting system from which an array of strips are suspended. The mounting systems are designed such that the strips are secured at their top ends in tandem, yet easily replaceable if worn or damaged. Adjacent strips should be mounted to overlap, but without significant bulging for an efficient doorway seal. The mounting system should be relatively easy to install, accommodate variously sized strips, and be aesthetically pleasing.
One known strip curtain, which accommodates varying sizes of strips, utilizes a frame element clamped onto a cover element by screws to secure strips in place therebetween. Screws are provided for mounting the frame to a door frame or jam. The strips have supports secured to their upper ends, which mount into channels of the frame and the cover element prior to the cover being clamped in place. The supports have downward hook portions which rest in the channel. These strips, however, must be carefully handled during installation so that the supports do not separate from the channels. In order to replace damaged strips the entire cover element must be completely removed from the frame element. Aesthetically detracting is the bulkiness of the combined frame and cover elements with both sets of screws being visible.
Another type of strip curtain is an end loading type, which allows for loading and unloading of the strips without having to remove an entire mounting structure such as the aforementioned cover from a doorway. However, in end loading strip curtains the strips often bunch together within their mount creating nonuniform spacing along the length of the curtain. This particular problem has been solved by interconnecting the entire array of strips together prior to their being end loaded. However, with the entire curtain so assembled, replacement of as little as a single strip is difficult and tedious. Other prior art strip curtains have not been versatile in that the amount of strip overlapping has been difficult to adjust. Another problem has been the inability for some strips to be cut off of rolls, while others have also had to have the ends heat sealed.
Thus, there exists a need for an improved strip curtain which is accommodates various strip sizes, which provides for easy replacement of strips, and which is aesthetically pleasing. Accordingly, it is to the provision of such that the present invention is primarily directed.